Ski boot fastening comprising step adjusted toggle means



NOV. 29, 1966 K W, B1ND|NG ET AL 3,287,774

SKI BOOT FASTENING COMPRISING STEP ADJUSTED TOGGLE MEANS Filed Nov. 16,1964 United States Patent 3,287,774 SKI BOOT FASTENING COMPRISING STEPADJUSTED TOGGLE MEANS Kenneth W. Binding, Winchester, and `lohn D.Mahoney, Marshfield, Mass., assignors to Market Forge Company, Everett,Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No.411,495

8 Claims. (Cl. 24-70) This invention relates to fastenings andespecially to fastenings for ski boots.

Many ski boots are fastened by lace entrained about rows of lacing hooksat opposite sides of the instep of the boot, however, such lace isawkward to apply because it is normally quite long and easily becomesknotted and entangled, and because the hooks themselves may become bent,making it difficult to loop the lace beneath the hooks. Lacing is timeconsuming, tiresome and annoying. Moreover, since the lace itself isrelatively long, it is difficult to pull it tight enough to be effectiveespecially when the boot has a heavy reinforced upper as is now incommon use to improve control of the skis at high speed. Women find itpractically impossible to pull the lace tight enough to take advantageof the support provided by the structure of the boot and many leg andankle injuries are the direct results of failure to effectively tightenthe lace. The ultimate lacing of boots to the proper degree of tightnesshowever has certain disadvantages, to wit, over prolonged periods tightboots become uncomfortable, making the feet cold, and yet most skierswill not loosen the lace during periods of rest because of thedifficulties in resecuring it. Additional disadvantages inherent in laceare that it stretches, becomes frayed and is relatively expensive torenew often enough to insure safety under all circumstances. To overcomethe disadvantages of lace and laced boots, boots are being manufacturedwith toggle fastening elements engageable across the instep and theangle which make it possible, by means of the mechanical advantageafforded by the toggle lever, to obtain maximum security even with theheaviest of boot uppers; and which enables quickly and easily releasingthe boots at any period of rest no matter how short to afford relieffrom the pressure and restoration of normal circulation in the feetandas quickly refastening and securing the boots for use. Such boots,however, at the present time are very expensive and hence beyond thereach of the average skier. Moreover, many skiers have perfectly goodlace-type boots which they would not wish to discard. The principalobjects of this invention are therefore to provide means for convertinga conventional lacetype boot to a toggle-type boot thereby to obtain allof the advantages of the toggle-type boot; to provide means foraccomplishing such conversion without modification of the structure ofthe lace-type boot or requiring the services of a skilled shoe maker tomake the conversion; to provide means which is adapted to be applied tosubstantially all makes and kinds of ski boots, regardless of size,which now embody eyelet hooks or at least eyelets in which the hooks areadapted to be fixed; and to provide means which is relativelyinconspicuous, attractive, reliable, durable, adjustable and inexpensiveto manufacture.

As herein illustrated, the toggle assembly comprises parts adapted to beanchored to pairs of lacing hooks at opposite sides of the instep; aflexible strap connected ICC at one end to one of the parts, the strapbeing adapted to extend the major portion of the way across the instepfrom one row of lacing hooks at one side to the other row of lacinghooks at the other side; a loop at the distal end of the strap adaptedto extend the remainder of the way across the instep; and a leverpivotally connected to the other part adapted, by engagement with theloop, to pull the strap taut across the instep and to secure the strap.Each part comprises a spring clip having opposed limbs spring-biasedtoward each other operative to grip the top and bottom sides of theheads of the hooks, and angularly disposed ends adapted to engage theouter and inner sides of the shanks of the hooks. One of the springclips has spaced pulls integral with the limbs adapted to receivebetween them the end of the strap and means for fastening the end of thestrap therebetween. The other of the spring clips has a bearing formedon the upper one of the limbs to which one end of the toggle lever isadapted to be pivotally attached by means of a pin, and a stabilizerpart extending from the lower one of the limbs inwardly of the hooks forengagement with the upper to prevent tipping. The strap is connected atone end to the spring clip by a rivet extending through it and at itsother end to the loop by folding a portion of the strap on itself andinserting a threaded fastener through it. If a leather strap isemployed, it is reinforced along its opposite edges by spaced parallelrows of nylon stitching close enough to the holes for receiving therivet and fastening means tov prevent elongation and tearing. The endportions of the strap may be further strengthened by dipping in a highstrength plastic such as will penetrate the leather and reduce wetting.Optionally the strap may be made of Mylar.

, The invention will now be described in greater detaily with referenceto the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective of a ski boot showing the toggle assembliesapplied to the instep and ankle portions of the boot; f

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the toggle assemblies removed from theboot;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 2,v

to much larger scale, of the part attached to lthe hooksV at the outsideof the boot and to which one end of the toggle is connected; f

FIG. 5 is a sectiontaken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2, to much largerscale, of the part attached to the hooks at the inside of the boot andto which one end of the strap is connected; and

FIG. 6 is a section to much larger scale of the strap taken on the line6-6yof FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a typical ski boot 10 providedat opposite sides of the instep portion 12 of the upper with rows oflacing hooks 14, each of which comprises an outwardly projecting head16, a shank 18, and a base 20 by means of which it is secured in aneyelet 22 riveted'into the upper material of the boot.

Normally such a boot is secured by lace entrained about the hooks. It isthe purpose of this invention to substitute for the lace, toggleassemblies thereby to convert the boot from fastening by means of laceto fastening by means of toggles to obtain the advantages of the latter.The toggle assemblies for making this conversion, of which there arethree shown herein in FIG. l, two of them being located across theinstep and one across the ankle, are comprised of parts 26a and 26badapted to be applied directly to a pair of lacing hooks at each side ofthe instep. The part 26a is attached to a pair of hooks at the outerside of the =boot and is adapted to have connected to it one end of ailexible strap 28 which in turn is adapted to extend the major part ofthe way across the instep toward the inner side, and has fastened to itsdistal end a loop 30. The part 26h is secured directly to a pair ofhooks at the inner side of the boot and is adapted to have pivotallymounted on it a toggle lever 32 for engagement with the loop 30 to drawthe strap 4tautly across the instep to secure the boot.

The parts 26a and 26h have acommon structure comprising spaced limbs 34and 36 integrally joined along one edge by a bent portion 38 and openalong their other edges. At the open edges there are downwardly bentportions 40 and 42. The limbs 34 'and 36 converge slightly from theirjoined edges to their unjoined edges and are adapted to yieldinglyengage the heads 16 of pairs of hooks to which the parts are applied.The bent portions 38 are adapted to engage the outer edges of the headsland the bent portions 40 and 42 are adapted to engage the inner andouter sides of the shanks of the hooks. Each part is made long enough soas to embrace a pair of hooks and the bent portions 40, as shown in FIG.4, are adapted to bear against the outer sides of the Shanks close totheir bases so as to reduce the tilting moment which tends to tip thehooks inwardly toward each other when the toggle lever is engaged withthe strap ends.

The part 26a differs from the part 2621 in that it has intermediate itsends inwardly extending, spaced parallel pulls 44 and 46 between whichthe end of the strap is adapted to be secured. The pulls contain alignedholes 48 and 50 for receiving a rivet 52.

The strap, as shown in FIG. 6, may be comprised of leather and toprevent stretching and also to strengthen it and hence lessen theliability of its tearing where the fastening rivet and adjustablefastener pass through it, spaced parallel rows of nylon stitching 53 areinserted in the strap throughout its length` Preferably the rows ofstitching are close enough to the rivet and adjustable fastener holes toreinforce the leather in the vicinity of the holes sufiiciently toprevent elongation thereof. Optonally, the end portions of the strap maybe reinforced by coating or impregnation with a high strength plasticcompound.

The distal end of the strap is provided with a plurality of adjustingholes 54 and is folded on itself about the loop 30 which is generallytriangular in conguration, having a base limb 58 correspondingsubstantially in width to the end of the strap, converging side limbs 60extending from the base, and a narrow limb 62 -at its apex forengagement with the toggle lever. A fastening element 64, such as adouble-headed screw comprised of interengageable telescoping threadedparts 66 and 68 inserted through holes in the overlapping parts of thestrap is employed to adjust the length of the strap and hence theproximity of the loop 30 to the toggle lever.

The part 26h diiiers from the part 26a in that it has a rolled bearingsleeve 70 adjacent the bent part 38 formed by a portion of the upperlimb 34 bent upwardly and then back ou itself. The bearing sleeve 70contains a slot 72 and the lower limb 36 adjacent the bearing isprovided with a slot 74 aligned with that in the bearing. The togglelever 32 comprises a narrow arcuateshaped blade containing at one end ahole 76 for receiving a pivot pin 78 by means of which it is pivotallyconnected Within the slot 72 in the bearing 70. The slot 74 receives thecircular end portion 80 of the lever and provides side bearings whichprevent wobble of the lever from side-to-side. The lever is stitfened onits upper side by a bent-over flange 82 and has on its underside aplurality of notches 84 adapted to be engaged with the narrow limb 62 ofthe loop 30. To lessen tipping the lower limb 36 has an inwardlyprojecting stabilizing part 86 adapted to bear against Ithe upperinwardly of the row of hooks at that side.

The two parts embodying the assembly and including the strap and togglelever are mounted opposite each other on opposite pairs of hooks byslipping the clips over the outer sides of the hooks so as to engagetheir heads between the upper and lower limbs and to engage the bentportions inside and outside the shanks of the hooks. The metal is springsteel and ordinarily there is sul'licient resistance to displacement ofthese limbs as they are forced onto the hooks to retain them in place.If desired, the limbs may be pressed together to enhance this grippingaction by striking the upper limbs while the lower limbs are supportedagainst a rigid anvil to permanently bend the junctions. The strap isnow `adjusted to provide the proper length for the part of the shoe onwhich the assembly is mounted whereupon the toggle lever is swungupwardly about its pivot in a clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. l;the loop is placed over its upper end and engaged with one of thenotches 84; and then the lever is rotated in a counterclockwisedirection to bring it down past its center of rotation and hence to lockthe toggle. By selecting the proper notch 84 the desired amount of4tension may be obtained in the strap Vand if the number of notchesprovided is not sucient the strap itself may be shortened.

As shown, there are three of these assemblies on the boot, however, fourmay be used if desired or only two. Also, as illustrated, the parts aredesigned to be lapplied to pairs of lacing hooks at each side of theinstep to distribute the pull so that there is less danger of the hooksbeing torn loose. However, for lighter weight boots and childrens boots,it is within the scope of the invention to employ parts adapted 4to beapplied to one hook at each side.

If the boot has only lacing eyelets or lacing holes, lacing hooks may befastened therein to receive the parts 26a, 26b, or rivets or boltshaving appropriately shaped heads may be secured therein for receivingthe parts. The toggle devices are described for use with ski boots;however, they may be adapted for use with other kinds of shoes, forexample high lace skates, hunting boots and the like.

The parts 26a, 26b are comprised of No. 1055 sheet steel of .018 gauge,heat-treated, tumbled and quenched in known fashion to provide a blackoxide nish. The oxide nish resists rusting and provides a natural blackcolor which may be directly lacquered for use. The loop 30 is comprisedof No. 1055 heat-treated wire of 0.125 gauge, heat-treated, tumbled andquenched in known fashion to provide a black oxide finish which is alsolacquered. The toggle lever 32 is comprised of No. 1055 steel,heattreated, of .050 gauge, tumbled 'and chrome plated. The nylon thread52 used for reinforcing the leather strap has a tensile strength of 600pounds per square inch and an elongation of 18% at this stress. isinserted in rows of `approximately of an inch from each side of thelongitudinal center line of the strap. As pointed out above, a Mylarstrap may be employed.

It should be understood that the present disclosure s for the purpose ofillustration only and that this invention includes all modifications andequivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A toggle assembly for converting a ski boot provided with lacinghooks to toggle-closure fastenings, comprising spring clips adapted tobe applied to the heads of pairs of hooks at opposite sides of theinstep, each clip having opposed limbs spring-biased toward each otheroperative to grip the top and bottom sides of the heads of the hooks,and angularly disposed ends adapted to engage 4the outer and inner sidesof the shanks of the Preferably the stitching hooks, spaced pullsintegral with the limbs of one of the clips, a flexible strap secured atone end between said pulls, said strap being adapted to extend acrossthe instep toward the clip at the opposite side, a loop secured to thedistal end of the strap, a bearing on said other clip and a toggle leverpivotally supported by a pin extending through it and the bearing onsaid clip, said lever being engageable with the loop to pull the straptransversely of the instep and secure the strap in tension by closing ofthe toggle lever, said loop and toggle lever being shaped to conformclosely to the contour of the shoe.

2. A toggle assembly for converting a boot provided with lacing hooks totoggle-closure fastenings, comprising spring clips having opposed,substantially at limbs adjoined along one side and yieldably biasedtoward each other so as to grip the upper and lower sides of the headsof the hooks over which they are pressed, and at their unjoined sidesdownwardly bent ends, the ends of the upper limbs being adapted to bearagainst the outer sides of the Shanks of the hooks and the ends of thelower limbs being adapted to bear against the inner sides of the Shanksof the hooks adjacent the bases, each of said clips embodying two suchpairs of limbs spaced far enough apart to be engageable with pairs ofhooks at each side, spaced parallel flat pulls extending from the limbsof one of the clips, means securing an end of the strap between saidpulls, said strap being adapted to extend therefrom across the instepsubstantially to the clip at the opposite side, a loop fixed to thedistal end of the strap, a bearing at the outer side of the other clip,said bearing containing a slot, a lever mounted in the slot on a pin,said lever being engageable with the loop to pull the strap taut acrossthe instep of the boot, and a stabilizer part at the inner side of saidother clip adapted, by contact with the upper, to resist tipping of theclip, said loop and lever being shaped to conform to the surface of theboot.

3. A toggle assembly for converting a boot provided with lacing hooks totoggle-closure fastenings, comprising clips adapted to be engaged withpairs of hooks at opposite sides of the instep, each clip comprisingspring metal folded on itself to form spaced pairs of spring-biasedlimbs for engagement with the upper and lower sides of the heads ofpairs of lacing hooks, the bent portions of the clips, by engagementwith the outer edges of the heads of the hooks, preventing inwarddisplacement of the clips toward each other, downwardly extending lipsat the inner ends of the upper limbs adapted to have engagement with theouter sides of the Shanks of the hooks to prevent outward displacementof the clips, means intermediate the pairs of spring-biased limbs of oneof the clips for attaching one end of a strap thereto, said strap beingadapted to extend across the instep of the boot substantially to theother clip, bearing means intermediate the pairs of spring-pressed limbsof the other clip for supporting a toggle, and a toggle pivotallymounted on said bearing means, said toggle being adapted, by engagementwith the distal end of the strap, to pull the strap transversely of theinstep and secure it under tension, said toggle being shaped to conformclosely to the curvature of the boot at that side.

4. A toggle assembly for converting a boot provided with lacing hooks totoggle-closure fastenings, comprising parts having transversely spacedpairs of metal limbs formed of spring metal bent on itself andconverging toward each other so as to be adapted to yieldingly engagethe upper and lower sides of the heads of the hooks on which they areplaced, the bights at the folded sides of the limbs being adapted toengage the outer sides of the heads of the hooks, and downwardly bentlips at the open sides of the limbs adapted to be engaged with the innerand outer sides of the shanks of the hooks, a pair of spaced parallelpulls intermediate the pairs of limbs of one of the parts extending fromthe open sides of the limbs of said part for receiving the end of astrap, means for securing the end of the strap between said pulls, abearing intermediate the pairs of limbs of the other part, formed of apart of the upper one of the limbs, said bearing being adapted to havean end of a toggle lever attached thereto, a toggle lever, and a pinconnecting an end of the toggle lever to said bearing, said lever andstrap being cooperable to place the strap under tension across theinstep of the boot, and a stabilizer part extending from the lower limbof the part inwardly relative to the hooks at that side adapted, byengagement with the upper, to prevent tilting of the part.

5. A toggle assembly according to claim 4, wherein the lower limb 0f thepart provided with the bearing contains a slot for receiving theproximal end of the lever supported by the bearing, operative, byengagement with the sides of the lever, to constrain lateral movementthereof.

6. A toggle assembly for use with a ski boot having spaced lace-holdingmeans for drawing the boot tight on the foot, comprising anchor partsadapted to be secured to said lace-holding means and toggle partsconnected to said anchor parts adapted, by interengagement, to shortenthe distance between said anchor parts by drawing said anchor partstoward each other, means securing the anchor parts to the lace-holdingmeans comprising spring clips constrictively engaged with saidlace-holding means, said toggle parts comprising a flexible strapconnected at one end to one of the anchor parts, said strap beingadapted to extend across the gap between the parts from the part towhich it is connected substantially to the other part, a loop at thedistal end of the strap, and a toggle lever pivotally mounted on theother part, said lever being operable, by engagement With the loop, topull the strap taut between the lace-holding means, said loop and leverbeing adapted to lie against and closely conform to the outer side ofthe boot adjacent the part to which the lever is mounted, and meanspivotally connecting said one end of the flexible strap to said anchormeans for angular displacement about an axis perpendicular to thesurface of the strap.

7. A toggle assembly for use with a ski boot having spaced lace-holdingmeansl for drawing the boot tight on the foot, comprising anchor partsadapted to be se- Cured to said lace-holding means and toggle partsconnected to said anchor parts adapted, by interengagement, to shortenthe distance between said anchor parts by drawing said anchor partstoward each other, means securing the anchor parts to the lace-holdingmeans comprising spring clips constrictively engaged with saidlace-holding means, said toggle parts comprising a exible strapconnected at one end to one of the anchor parts, said strap beingadapted to extend across the gap between the parts from the part towhich it is connected substantially to the other part, a loop at thedistal end of the strap, and a toggle lever pivotally mounted on theother part, said lever being operable, by engagement with the loop, topull the strap taut between the lace-holding means, said loop and leverbeing adapted to lie against and closely conform to the outer side ofthe boot adjacent the part to which the lever is mounted; characterizedin that the strap is leather and the nylon thread has a tensile strengthin the order of 600 pounds per square inch, and an elongation of notmore than 18 at said stress.

8. A toggle assembly for use with a ski boot having spaced lace-holdingmeans for drawing the boot tight on the foot, comprising anchor partsadapted to be secured to `said lace-holding means and toggle partsconnected to said anchor parts adapted, by interengagement, to shortenthe distance between said anchor parts by drawing said anchor partstoward each other, means securing the anchor parts to the lace-holdingmeans comprising spring clips constrictively engaged with saidlace-holding-means, said toggle parts comprising a exible strapconnected at one end to one of the anchor parts, said strap beingadapted to extend across the gap between the parts from the part towhich it is connected substantially to the other part, a loop at thedistal end of the strap, and a toggle lever pivotally mounted on theother part, said lever being operable, by engagement with the loop, topull the strap taut between the lace-holding means, said loop and leverbeing adapted to lie against and closely conform to the outer side oftheboot adjacent the part to which the lever is mounted; characterized inthat the strap is leather and is reinforced lengthwise by spacedparallel rows of nylon stitching situated at opposite sides of thelongitudinal center line of the strap and close enough to the centerline to prevent substantial elongation of the strap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS l2/l905 8/19097/l950 l1/l950 11/1958 9/1965 Saunders 24-203 Ellis.

Gould.

Leseshe 24-38 X Andre 36-50 X Martin 24--69 Dunn 24-68 WILLIAM FELDMAN,Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner.

1. A TOGGLE ASSEMBLY FOR CONVERTING A SKI BOOT PROVIDED WITH LACINGHOOKS TO TOGGLE-CLOSURE FASTENINGS, COMPRISING SPRING CLIPS ADAPTED TOBE APPLIED TO THE HEADS OF PAIRS OF HOOKS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THEINSTEP, EACH CLIP HAVING OPPOSED LIMBS SPRING-BIASED TOWARD EACH OTHEROPERATIVE TO GRIP THE TOP AND BOTTOM SIDES OF THE HEADS OF THE HOOKS,AND ANGULARLY DISPOSED ENDS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE OUTER AND INNER SIDESOF THE SHANKS OF THE HOOKS, SPACED PULLS INTEGRAL WITH THE LIMBS OF ONEOF THE CLIPS, A FLEXIBLE STRAP SECURED AT ONE END BETWEEN SAID PULLS,SAID STRAP BEING ADAPTED TO EXTEND ACROSS THE INSTEP TOWARD THE CLIP ATTHE OPPOSITE SIDE, A LOOP SECURED TO